Tuesday, 5 July 2011

Dish ~ Dua Annexe, Jalan Tun Razak, Kuala Lumpur

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Update 21/07/2015: Dua Annexe seems to be under some revamping so we're not sure what has become of Dish and Delicious in the building. 

Hello everyone! So sorry for neglecting Deliciouslogy for so long!

I've just started work and it's been rather hectic for the past 2 months. It's mostly classroom training for now but I'm looking forward to being attached to a division real soon!


We have Max as a guest reviewer for Dish's Brilliant Sunday Brunch, a buffet that Ezel absolutely adores. Reviews for Dish can be found at WinnieKepala and masak-masak. As for the Brilliant Sunday Brunch, a review can be found at masak-masak. I'll now take a step back and let Max and the photos do the talking =)

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First off, allow me to start off with an apology to Mika, for taking so long to finish this review of Dish. A combination of laziness, post-workday fatigue, and procrastination is the best recipe for unforeseen delays.


It was through a series of serendipitous events that I ended up at Dish for my belated birthday lunch treat by Ezel, who ended up dragging Mika along as well (who I think was also there for a birthday treat). A few weeks after that meal, Mika contacted me and asked if I could help her write a review for Dish, and that was how I got roped into doing my first food review ever. Having said that, on to the review of Dish!


The day we went to Dish was the day that we almost didn’t dine there at all, thanks to a slipup of our reservation that didn’t make it into their records somehow. Luckily, the helpful attendant managed to split off a table just for us from another diner’s reservation who came late, just as we were being seated at the Delicious Cafe located right above it.


The ambience at Dish is relaxed, as one would expect from a upper middle class grocery store-cum-eatery. All areas are lit with a mix of warm light and sunlight, which serves to enhance the appearance of the food. And that for me is basically the only charm of Dish. 

For a boutique dining establishment which (I assume) prides itself with a buffet spread that is usually reserved to the realm of hotels, it’s acutely disappointing to discover that the hefty price you’re paying (RM150++ per pax) is just for their fine selection of produce, not the skill required to bring out the best of those ingredients.



Please allow me to illustrate my point. For example, they may have lobster on the selection of the omelette menu, but I definitely won’t be raving about it as it tastes exactly the same as a lobster omelette I could have whipped up in my own kitchen (and I have no professional cooking experience!).



To be fair, I sampled an array of their main courses before coming to this conclusion. The mussel spaghetti was bland, and the roast platter – a mix of sausages, roast lamb, and beef, was just okay. The dessert counter and salad bar did little to assuage my disappointment. Simply put, their dishes aren’t memorable – they’re not extremely satisfying, but do not fall below usual expectations.



Funny thing though – the only items I had there and do remember liking till today was their chocolate croissant and cold cuts. I think it’s because it lived up to the usual standards of what a chocolate croissant should taste like, and cold cuts are just purchased straight from a supplier.


Honestly, I would prefer spending my money at Delicious Cafe than eat at Dish, mainly because the mains at Delicious Cafe are infinitely more tantalizing, to me at least. However, if you’re looking for a place with a wide selection of food (that doesn’t taste too bad) to linger with good company, Dish is a nice place to settle in to. I feel bad for giving such a review to a place I was given my birthday treat at (sorry Ezel!), but I would be lying if I said that I loved the food there.



Call me a cheapskate, but if I’m going to fork out the same amount of money for a buffet at Dish, I’d rather save it up and have a plate of hawker fare...or spend it at a super fancy restaurant for an ala-carte meal cooked by a celebrity chef. At least then I hope I wouldn’t be going home disappointed.


Brilliant Sunday Brunch

Dish, Dua Annexe


 Jalan Tun Abdul Razak
Kuala Lumpur
Tel: 03- 2164 1286

*Be sure to book beforehand as seats are quite limited!